Clothes dryers for domestic use typically comprise a rotating drum in which clothes are tumbled as warm air moves through the drum. Airflow through the drum is induced by a centrifugal fan, or blower fan, located in an exhaust duct that has an opening facing into the front open end of the dryer drum. This opening is typically covered by a grill. The exhaust duct has a lint filter for trapping lint particles from continuing to flow through the exhaust duct. The blower fan is in airflow communication with this exhaust duct to draw air from the duct through the fan and out through a tangential duct which airflow then turns and goes through an exhaust duct pipe exiting to the rear of the dryer. The blower fan is mounted generally within a blower wheel housing and the fan is driven by a motor. The blower fan is typically located below the dryer drum to one side thereof so as to optimize the use of space within the dryer cabinet.
In recent tests to determine fire hazards within the dryer, cheese cloth has been placed in a confined space between the outside wall of the blower wheel housing and the closest adjacent side wall panel of the dryer cabinet. The cheese cloth represents either dust or lint particles which over time might collect in this confined space. During the testing, the operation of the blower fan drawing heated air out of the dryer has a tendency to warm the blower wheel housing causing the cheese cloth placed in this location during the testing to catch fire. Moreover, this has resulted in additional cheese cloth placed outside the dryer side wall adjacent the location of the blower wheel housing to catch fire when the cheese cloth within the dryer catches fire due to heat being conducted by and through the cabinet side wall. Also, the confined space may act as a pathway along which fire may spread between the dryer drum and lower portion of the dryer cabinet. Accordingly, there is a need to reduce the risk of fire starting in the confined area between the blower wheel housing and the side wall of the dryer cabinet closest to the housing and to reduce the risk of fire spreading between the dryer drum and lower portion of the dryer cabinet via the confined space.